1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of casting objects with synthetic resins, particularly art objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Historically, the highest quality sculptural casts have been produced by the lost wax process, in which a wax replica of an object is encased in a mold of refractory material. The wax is then burned out, and molten material is poured into the space previously occupied by the wax. While the results of the lost wax process are aesthetically respected, the process is quite expensive in terms of labor, equipment and materials.
A market definitely exists for sculptural reproductions which can be made at a reasonable cost. The use of resins for casting would certainly reduce the cost, but the results of resin casting have been unsatisfactory. While very small objects may be cast with resin, difficulties exist with casting pieces having a thickness greater than about 3 inches due to crazing and cracking of the cast material associated with heat build-up during the curing process. This problem is exacerbated as the mass of the cast object increases.
As one solution to the problems of resin casting, multi-piece fiberglass reproduction is practiced. However, fiberglass has inherent problems of loss of surface detail, structural deformation, non-homogenous pigmentation, visible seams and high labor costs.
Another method for forming a cast reproduction of an article is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,625 to Pentlow. According to the Pentlow patent, a reproduction of a shoe is formed by casting a master mold around the shoe form, and securing the master mold in a mold casing for injection molding. The shoe form is replaced with a last, and a shoe is formed by injection molding in the space between the last and the master mold.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,724 to Baynard, a reproduction of a tree trunk is formed by casting concrete between a mold conforming to the outer surface of the tree truck, and a removable central core.